This weekend, James, Lulu and I met with friends to make good on a playgroup date for our little ones. While we were out, we stumbled across an event celebrating Lantern Night, the last night of the Chinese New Year celebrations, which happens this Saturday. The red and gold decorations, the pounding drums, the spinning dancers, all put me in a very festive mood. Here are some of my favorite dragonish links to start off the week and to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Dragon:
- Gourmet editor and cookbook author Nina Simonds tells us the best way to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and what to eat while doing it.
- A fun link about what kind of luck we can expect the Water Dragon to bring us.
- I've been obsessed with dragon fruit since I saw it used on Chopped. TasteSpotting has a bunch of serving ideas, recipes, and shopping tips for buying and cooking this fruit.
- Kane and Cameron (and their mama!) made some adorable lanterns for Lantern Night.
- Almost 10 years after his death, Stieg Larsson's partner talks to Vanity Fair about the man behind The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
- I'm going to get a copy of Eric Carle's Dragons, Dragons (and Other Creatures that Never Were) for Baby Lu's library!
- I cry every time I read Emily Rapp's take on what it means to be a dragon mom.
Overheard at the festival: two little girls talking about how they would prefer the Year of the Kitty Cat because dragons were scary. It made me think of what animal I'd celebrate if I could pick my own Year of the... I think I finally settled on otter: I'd like to spend a year celebrating playfulness. What would you pick?
I can get behind any holiday that celebrates in this beautiful way:
Is there an animal that exemplifies peace and serenity? 'Cause that's the one i'd go for!
ReplyDelete(Thanks for the link to the Eric Carle book - I added it to our wish list!)
L- maybe the dove?
DeleteI've read that article before about that mom and her son. Heartbreaking. Now that I'm a mom, anything where any mom has to lose a child or watch a child suffer makes me weep.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Dragon (1976) so I enjoyed reading what to expect this year. :)
Aw how cute. The year of the kitty? I love it. That's one of those great overheard conversations you will never forget.
Her blog is extremely beautifully well-written, but I had to stop reading it because I would cry for about an hour after each entry. She's a brave woman and my heart goes right out to her.
DeleteThis is your year, Dragon! I hope it brings good things.
I'd vote for the year of excessive joy and happiness btw.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is absolutely in LOVE with everything dragon, and has already told me several times that this is going to be the best year ever! Those photos that you shared are excellent, and make me wish that I had been there in the heart of the action. Thanks for all the dragon links as well! I would have to pick the butterfly. Year of the butterfly sounds so peaceful and serene. I need a year like that!
ReplyDeleteI think year of the butterfly sounds great--being out in nature, in the sunshine, changing, evolving, being industrious but doing it in style. Great choice!
DeleteI love the idea of the Year of the Kitty Cat! And the photos are gorgeous! We need to have some kind of official holiday like that. I think Thanksgiving could be livened up by using lanterns like that!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos!
ReplyDelete